Commander's Palace, New Orleans - A Living-the-Good-Life Lunch

Commander's Palace (https://www.commanderspalace.com/) in the tony Garden District of New Orleans is an iconic New Orleans restaurant that has been around since 1893, and has a great reputation for its haute creole cuisine. It has been under the proprietorship of the renowned Brennan restaurant family of New Orleans for over four decades. It has won many awards.

I had a very pleasant lunch there on the recommendation of a friend. (Thank you, Peg!)

The meal started with four pieces of a nice garlic bread.

Then came a really delicious amuse-bouche. It was a sweet crackling morsel.

The first course I had was a set of small servings of three soups, called Soups 1-1-1, for $9.50. It consists of turtle soup, a gumbo, and the soup du jour. The gumbo had oysters, shrimp, and redfish. The soup du jour had tomato and smoked redfish. The turtle soup was served with a bit of sherry poured in.

I was a bit reluctant to try the turtle soup, but I'm glad I did. It was fantastic – one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever had! The soup du jour was also superb. I enjoyed the gumbo, but it was not quite to my taste - perhaps because of the combination of ingredients. I'd had two other gumbos the previous day - one at NOLA's and one that I made in a cooking class. I liked both of them more. Both had andouille sausage. NOLA's was the best.

The second course was New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp - five seared extra-large shrimp crusted with rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest over goat cheese grits, with charred chilies and New Orleans barbecue butter for $24. It was tasty.

A small loaf of French bread was included, but I did not try it because I was saving room for dessert.

The wine I chose was a 2016 Commander's Palace Pays d'Oc Merlot. I really enjoyed it. My 6-oz. glass was $10.50.

My incredible dessert was the Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé with cream sauce mixed in for $9.50. This dish is made in advance, so it has to be ordered at the same time one orders the other courses.

I accompanied the soufflé with the perfect drink - a snifter of Bailey's Irish Cream for $9.50.

I finished the meal with a decent cup of espresso for $3.50.

My server, Jeff, was one of those consummate professionals who does everything right, and who adds a pleasant note to the dining experience.

The atmosphere was vibrant, and all of the many diners appeared to be enjoying themselves. At one point, three singers walked around singing lively Christmas songs.

The dress code is upscale casual. (See the restaurant's web site for specifics.)

The restaurant is located at 1403 Washington Ave, an easy streetcar ride from the French Quarter. Reservations are essential. Phone 504-899-8221.

After finishing a meal there, you might consider checking out some of the beautiful old mansions on the nearby streets. Be careful when walking on the very uneven sidewalks.

NOLA - An Emeril Lagasse Restaurant - Love It

Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse is renowned for his mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine, so I decided to try his NOLA[1] (https://emerilsrestaurants.com/nola) restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans after I checked out the menu and saw the great reviews.

Chef Lagasse has four restaurants in New Orleans and seven in other parts of the U.S. Because of his reputation for Creole and Cajun cuisine, I’d always assumed he was from Louisiana. Wrong. It turns out that he was born in Massachusetts to a French-Canadian father and Portuguese mother.

The meal I had was superb.

I decided to have a variety of smaller dishes rather than a large main course.

I started with House-made Andouille Sausage with wildflower honey mustard and jardinière (pickled vegetables, including onions and carrots). It was served on a biscuit and was terrific. It cost $10.

Next I had smoked salmon cheesecake boulettes with green onion coulis, cured egg yolk, and salmon roe for $11. It was wonderful.

Then I had St. Paul’s Gumbo – a sausage gumbo – with rice on top for $7. Of the six gumbos I tried in New Orleans, it was my favorite.

For dessert, I had chocolate bread pudding with a cranberry coulis for $10. It was perfect.

The wine I had was a 2012 Au Bon Climat Syrah called Emeril’s Red, Red Wine. I had the large glass for $15. It was very nice.

I ended the meal with an espresso for $5.50.

The service was excellent.

Like most of the other restaurants I went to in New Orleans, it was loud and lively.

---

[1] NOLA is an abbreviation used in New Orleans and stands for New Orleans Lousisiana.

New Orleans School of Cooking Hands-on Class - A Delicious Experience

Since I really enjoy eating New Orleans creole cuisine, I decided that a hands-on cooking class would be a great way to become better acquainted. I chose a three-hour class at the New Orleans School of Cooking (https://neworleansschoolofcooking.com/) at 524 St. Louis St. in the heart of the French Quarter. It was a good choice.

The class cost $147.34. The price included not only beverages such as wine and beer, but also a New Orleans School of Cooking apron. I made the reservation on TripAdvisor.

The class began at 10:00 a.m., and involved cooking and eating three dishes - andouille sausage and chicken gumbo, shrimp and grits, and Bananas Foster crêpes. The dishes are all relatively simple to prepare at home.

At the beginning of the class, we were provided with copies of the recipes of the dishes we would be preparing.

I chose to drink a red wine during the class. It was a very nice 2016 Trinity Oaks Napa Pinot Noir.

There were nine people in the class. The maximum number per class is ten. Our chef, Matt, was personable, talented, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. He had an undergraduate degree in cooking.

The kitchen contained five induction cooktops. Two students were assigned to each. My partner was a charming young woman from Georgia who had recently graduated from law school.

All of the ingredients were already measured out and waiting on a table to the rear of the cooktop. As soon as we used an ingredient, a staff member swooped up the empty container and took it away. (I wish that would happen when I cook at home.)

Matt started the class by talking about the history of Louisiana cuisine and its peoples. He was very informative. He educated us on the easy-to-understand, essential differences between creole and Cajun cuisine.

Then we began cooking. Matt carefully instructed us on each step and oversaw what we were doing. He quickly corrected any mistakes we were making.

After we finished cooking, we sat down to enjoy the results, which were terrific. Of the six gumbos I tried in New Orleans, I would rate this one the second best – with the best being next door at Chef Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA restaurant.

The only shortcoming was that the recipes did not contain all of the great tips Matt provided. For example, he told us that the color of the roux we were making for the gumbo should be the color of peanut butter. That was very helpful. There were too many such tips to write them while cooking.

I realized late in the day that I had forgotten my complimentary apron. I returned to the school the next day, showed my receipt for the class, and was given an apron – thanks!

The school also has a store with foods, spices, books, cooking instruments, decorations, etc. They will ship items purchased.

I highly recommend this class.

Dr. Gumbo Food Walking Tour, New Orleans – Deeeeelicious!

New Orleans is a food heaven that has so many unique, local dishes that it’s hard to adequately sample them in a couple of days. One great solution is a food tour. On the basis of descriptions and great reviews, I chose a Dr. Gumbo 3-hour Food History Tour for $65.80 on Expedia. The cost included food and gratuities, but not alcoholic beverages, which we could order at different stops during the tour.

It was a great experience. Our tour guide, Lindsay, was superb. She was high energy, and provided a wealth of information.

There were nine people on our tour, including a couple from Australia. I enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone in the group.

We went to seven different food venues – six eateries and a sauce store. We tried a total of eleven dishes, plus a number of spicy sauces. The food venues were chosen because of their unique dishes, and in some cases, because of their history. For example, Tujague’s, a 19^th century bar and restaurant, has the oldest standing bar in the U.S.

The dishes we had were:

Fried pork skins

Boudin balls

Apple & andouille sausage beignets with spiced cream cheese

Traditional praline

Bacon pecan brittle

Muffuletta sandwich

Fried catfish PoBoy sandwich (wild caught catfish)

Creole beef brisket with German horseradish sauce

Seafood gumbos at two different restaurants. (I tried a total of six different gumbos during my trip to New Orleans. Each one was different. They ranged in taste from incredible to edible (play on words).

I enjoyed every dish except the brisket, which I thought was only ok, despite my love of beef.

At the Pepper Palace sauce store where we stopped, we were able to sample a large number of sauces, from very mild to one that was supposedly the fieriest available, and that required a signature before sampling. One member of our group sampled it and affirmed it was as advertised. The fire stayed with him for a while. We were each given a free bottle of sauce.

At each location, Lindsay explained the history and nature of the food we were sampling. She also explained the influences of many different cultures – native American, French, Spanish, African, Italian, German, and Irish on the Creole cooking of New Orleans.

I highly recommend this tour. In fact, I’m getting very hungry writing about it.

Restaurant R'evolution, New Orleans - "Imaginative Reinterpretations of Creole Cuisine"

At Restaurant R’evolution (http://www.revolutionnola.com/), award-winning chefs, John Folse and Rick Tramonto offer their "imaginative reinterpretations of classic Creole cuisine.” They do a superb job. I loved the dinner I had there. The restaurant is located at 777 Bienville St. in the French Quarter.

I started with a terrific appetizer of four beer-battered beignets, each with a different remoulade - saffron, salsa verde, red pepper, English white, and a small side vegetable mix for $16.

My main course was Seared Sea Scallops with foie gras over truffle white bean puree, bacon vinaigrette, with celery salad. The scallops were very large, and the celery salad was small. The dish was very tasty, but not incredible. The price was $43.

The wine I chose was a glass of 2016 Valveran Sonoma County Zinfandel for $12. It was very nice and the pour was generous.

For dessert, I had Creole cheese bread pudding crème brûlée with blueberries and lemon almond crunch for $13. It was great.

For my dessert drink, I asked my server if the bartender could modify their R'ev Nog dessert drink, and replace the Crème de Menthe with Calvados.  She agreed to my request. The other ingredients in the drink were Caneland red stick rum, Simple syrup, egg white, and cream. The modified drink was delicious and cost $14, the same as the version with Crème de Menthe.

I sat at a high top table in the bar area because the restaurant was full.

The atmosphere was very nice; and Alex, my server, was knowledgeable, professional, and friendly.

The atmosphere was very pleasant. It is justifiably on the pricey side. Reservations are essential.

Café Fleur-de-Lis, New Orleans - A Great Breakfast Spot

Café Fleur-de-lis (http://www.cafefleurdelis.com/) at 307 Chartres St. in the French Quarter of New Orleans is a great spot for breakfast or lunch. I ate breakfast there twice, and loved both meals.

The first time, I had Seafood Benedict with Crab & Crawfish cakes and poached eggs over biscuit with a slightly spicy hollandaise sauce, tomato, and plain grits. The café also offered cheese grits or hash browns with this dish. It was really, really good. The cost was $14. The regular coffee, for $3.25, was nice.

Ron, the server, was excellent. Even, though there was a wait for a table, I never felt rushed.

The second time,  I enjoyed Eggs Benedict - poached eggs over Canadian bacon, and toasted muffin, with a slightly spicy hollandaise sauce, and a side of grits for $11.

This time I had a fantastic Cappucino for $4.50. (I wished I'd ordered that the first time.)

The server the second time was Lauren, who was also very nice.  (I did make the mistake of accepting a table next to the front door, so I got a small blast of cold air every time someone walked in.)

The first time, I used a Yelp app to get on their wait list, so by the time I walked over from my hotel, my table was waiting. I did hear the host say that the wait can be up to an hour. The second time, the Yelp app showed there was no wait - probably because it was later in the breakfast window.)

(Locals pronounce the street name "Charter.")

Maison Dupuy Hotel, French Quarter, New Orleans

I recently spent four nights at the Maison Dupuy hotel (http://www.maisondupuy.com/) at 1001 Toulouse St. in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I chose the hotel because of a combination of location, reputation, and price. My bottom line is that I was happy with my choice, and would stay there again.

It is in a quiet residential area just two blocks north of raucous Bourbon St., and is in easy walking distance of most French Quarter places of interest.

My king-size room was spacious, comfortable, and well-maintained by the cleaning staff. The two shortcomings were that I had to ask for a TV remote, and neither I nor a member of the staff could get the safe to work.

Dawn and Ray, the two concierges I dealt with during my stay, were terrific. They were very knowledgeable, friendly, and extremely helpful.

Check-in time was not until 4 p.m., and I arrived about 10 a.m., so I left my luggage with the valet and went sightseeing. Just after 3 p.m., the front desk phoned to inform me that my room was ready.

My average cost per night, including taxes, but not including breakfast, was $161. I made my arrangements through Expedia.

I ate at the hotel’s Bistreaux restaurant four times – three times for breakfast, and once for dinner. At breakfast, I just had croissants, which were fine, and coffee. For dinner, I had a cup of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo for $5, two crab cakes over fried green tomato with a creole remoulade for $16, and a glass of Scotto Family Old Vine Zinfandel $8. The food and wine were good, but did not compare to what I had at other restaurants in town. While most of them were more expensive, the breakfast at the Café Fleur-de-lis was in the same price range, but out of this world. Servers at the Bistreaux were not high energy. Servers everywhere else were better.